The Truth About a Locked Heart
by drinktea
Summary: Kain can't want for anything more than friendship from her. Tifa wants nothing but his friendship. But when he escorts her back to Cosmos, memories regained and secrets revealed throw them both for a loop.
1. Girl Like You, Indeed

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy © Square Enix**

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><p>Oh, crap.<p>

How was she going to get out of this one?

Tifa caught sight of Ultimecia over her shoulder, dark magic sparkling and growing at her fingertips. The best she could do was dodge... Tifa prepared to roll her weight onto her toes-

And suddenly, she was dodging something completely different, and Ultimecia was metres away.

"It seems we are not alone."

She turned in the direction of the interruption, somehow knowing she wouldn't need to run. "Kain!"

He'd angled his body toward Ultimecia, but she could see that he was checking on her in the corner of his eye. That darned helmet didn't obscure everything. "You're safe," he assessed, relief flooding his tone.

"I'm fine- thank goodness, you are too!" she told him earnestly. She had to admit she was afraid that what Ultimecia had said earlier - that there were so few Warriors of Cosmos left - had applied to him. But of course he was fine. He stood between Ultimecia and her like a solid wall, his impressive lance in hand.

"Delighted to see the traitor to your cause? Oh, you poor child," the evil woman condescended. She glided back and forth, presumably looking for a hole in Kain's defense. His weight shifted with her, tracking her movement.

Still, Tifa couldn't ignore her words. "Traitor?"

Ultimecia snapped on the end of Tifa's sentence, like she was anticipating the reply. "Oh, I'm sorry," - she didn't sound sorry at all, Tifa noted, eyes narrowing - "had you thought him your saviour? If I were you, I'd be more worried about him than me." She laughed with a black humour and directed a question at Kain, "Isn't that so?"

Tifa tensed as Ultimecia moved from spot to spot invisibly. She heard the slight squeak of armour and knew that Kain was on guard, as well. She was glad he hadn't honoured her with a response. She glared at the woman, biting back, "What are you talking about? You're not making sense." Kain a traitor? What could he possibly have done in the past days that would make him a traitor? Moreover, she seemed to know deep down that Kain wasn't like that. He was the strong, silent type, but his actions and those few, rare words made his loyalty to their cause clear to her - the toss of a potion, a few murmured words of advice. Tifa clenched her jaw, ready to strike the Warrior of Chaos for lying. Her eyes were already trained on the spot she'd punch first.

And then Ultimecia said, "Look at that fallen warrior behind you. Surely even you won't dismiss evidence like that."

Brushing aside the cruel attempt at her observational skills, Tifa turned-

The shock of blonde hair and tiny figure gave it away. "Zidane!"

"Do you want to know what befell him? Ask your knight in shining armour," Ultimecia crooned.

Tifa's brow knitted, but she refused to believe the woman. She was a Warrior of Chaos, anyway. She wanted to make them question their allegiances.

Ultimecia waited a beat, looking Tifa in the eyes, searching for doubt. Then she smirked and disappeared in a puff of feathers.

Once Ultimecia was gone, Tifa's mind immediately shot to her fallen comrade. "Zidane!" she called. Was he awake? No response. She and Kain could carry him back-

"Wait."

Tifa whirled on Kain. "Wait? He's hurt, we have to help him!" She started toward Zidane.

"No!" Unbelievably, Kain put his lance out to block her way.

"What?" How could he- She grabbed his lance, ready to shove it aside.

Kain leapt at Zidane's unconscious form and bundled his small figure into his arms. Then he jumped straight up and away.

"Kain! Zidane!" Gods, what was Kain _doing? _She shook her head, as if trying to dispel all that happened, like clouds obscuring her vision. What should she do now?

* * *

><p>Kain continued to leap away from Tifa and toward the desert, where he was keeping his sleeping comrades. He hoped she wouldn't follow. He didn't know if he could do to her what he did to Zidane.<p>

Arriving at his destination, Kain set Zidane down on the floor of the entrance to a cave. He grunted slightly with the effort of moving the large rock he'd selected to block the opening. Then he took Zidane in his arms again - how small he was, the size of a child, and Kain felt the tiniest twinge of guilt - and ventured farther into the cavern.

This place was a remarkable formation, and Kain found it hard to believe that these tunnels could have been carved naturally. But he'd staked this place out for nearly a day before he'd decided it was uninhabited. And his other sleeping comrades had yet to show any indication of being disturbed.

He arrived at the end of one of the passages and knelt. He laid Zidane flat out on his back. When the boy woke for the next cycle, he would know there was only one way to go, and hopefully he would meet his other allies upon exiting. He would wake among friends.

Kain shut his eyes and breathed deeply. His brow rumpled, knowing the next logical choice for slumber. She probably wasn't far, and he knew he could cover a lot of ground quicker than she. But then, Ultimecia had warned her against him. Maybe... maybe she would avoid him. Maybe she was running to Cosmos now, the knowledge of his apparent betrayal ready to be shared.

Tifa was a stubborn woman though, he knew. She was sure of her actions. Once she did something, it stayed done. She was also sure of her comrades and their strength to a fault. He remembered once that she had taken point, and charged forward to battle a manakin, not even considering that Vaan hadn't had her back properly covered. He'd had to dive in. The abomination was just too close, and Vaan too far...

That incident. It was then that he'd realized that he'd gotten too close to her. The feeling that had saturated his senses then, knowing that harm could have come to her - it was too desperate, too possessive.

He wanted to avoid entanglements, especially of _that_ kind. Somehow, he had a sense for what could hurt him emotionally. Perhaps the ghost of a memory, exerting its influence over him, even in this world? He had been hurt before, and by a woman. Maybe by a woman like Tifa. A strong, stubborn, beautiful woman. A woman who smelled fresh, who had eyes with depth...

Kain let the feelings flow over and around him, still breathing deeply.

But nothing could come of this. He would not pursue her. There was no point to it - they were not even from the same world, and besides, this battle was coming to a head. There was little time left.

He stood, the torrent of his revelations lapping around his ankles. He walked out, drew the stone over the mouth of the cavern, and hoped his feelings locked inside of it with his comrades.

He surveyed the earth beneath him and clenched his fingers around his lance. Tight, too tight. Because he saw a figure running, calling his name, and she was getting closer. She hadn't spotted him quite yet, so he took off in the other direction, hoping he could lose her.

"Kain!"

He'd underestimated her. She sounded closer than he could have predicted. Had she seen him? He couldn't turn to check without vaulting into a cliff-face. He kept on jumping.

He spotted a portal and entered without a second thought. He would lose her here. He'd loop and weave, and exit before she could get ahold of him.

"Kain!"

Curses.

Her voice was genuinely relieved. Of course she'd chosen to be stubborn and not believe Ultimecia. "Oh, good. I found you!"

There was no way to avoid this now. He gripped his lance and held it defensively in front of him, as if to block an oncoming attack. He sunk into his knees as well, and lowered his head. He knew how menacing his armour could make him seem.

She didn't even step back, and it only served to show him how pathetic his efforts were. Now, her voice was bewildered. "What are you-"

But then he was falling, and he could only lower himself onto a knee harshly, his armour scraping the ground. His lance clattered noisily by his side. He... had grown weaker than he'd thought. In hindsight, it was no wonder she'd caught him so quickly.

"Kain? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Her concern was so obvious that he had to supress the words bubbling in his throat that would betray him- _I'm fine, take care of yourself, I couldn't stand to see you hurt._

Instead, he opted for a more conservative answer. One that would hopefully spur her in the right direction, and simultaneously hide how deep his feelings for her had become. "The manikins will be upon us soon," he worked to keep from wincing at the pain in his body, and finally knew how tired he really was, "Return to Cosmos."

She watched him try to stand. Though she asked _what about you_, it sounded to him like she was saying that he was clearly in worse shape than she. What she must think of him...

He fell onto his one knee again, almost a mockery of a marriage proposal. "Sparing thoughts for a traitor?" he said, reminding her of his villanous acts, of the danger he posed to her. Never mind that he was doubled over in pain, and couldn't lift a finger against her if he tried.

"Stop it!" she commanded. And then there was a splash, and he was soaking wet.

He looked down at his arm, one of the spots where the liquid had landed. His eyes widened. Potion.

The potion acted mercifully quickly, easing the ache of his muscles, then evaporated in a sparkle of light.

"You _know _I trust you," she asserted. He lifted his head to look at her, not sure of what he was hearing.

Her eyes were fiery, practically searing away any trace of reserve he had left. That look... it made his breath come faster, deeper.

"All this time you've been helping us, and then you just up and change sides? Yeah, right!" she nearly yelled. "I mean, even if you hadn't helped me out before, I still wouldn't fall for that."

He didn't know whether to smile or to shake his head at his own helplessness. There was no fooling her. She would uncover his self-imposed mission soon.

"We're friends, aren't we? Just tell me, what happened? Where's Zidane? Have you found anyone else?" her train of questions proceded. "Why... why did you... point your weapon at me?"

She obviously didn't believe he'd turned on them, but maybe she thought he'd turned on _her_. How far that was from the truth... But he had to carry on, now. He needed to leave and find the others, so they could win this war. And he'd put her off for as long as he could. He remained enigmatic. "Forgive me, that's not for you to know."

She sighed, blustery. Then suddenly she mused, "Well, I guess I'll just have to tag along."

His stomach dropped. "What?"

She pivoted gracefully to face him. Her decision was made, that was clear. "No choice. I used my potion. Girl like me... who knows if I could make it back to Cosmos all alone?"

She was obviously appealing to his chivalrous side, and damn, it was working. _Girl like you, indeed. _He peered up at her, glad his helmet covered his eyes.

"As long as I have a friend along, I'll be okay, right?"

Friend. The word stuck him in the chest like a dart. He knew that now he had no choice. He would escort her back to Cosmos. That, or keep a watchful eye on her as she powered her way through the terrain. Either was possible. "Tifa..."

She thought he meant to disagree, and beat him to the punch. "Listen. I trust you. We're friends."

Another dart. He just caught a glance of her determined face and resigned himself to his immediate fate. He nodded, then stood and led the way.

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><p>They had been traveling for five minutes or so, and Tifa could hardly believe the utter lack of conversation. She knew that she talked a bit more than most people, but if that were true, Kain talked significantly <em>less <em>than most people.

He also seemed to have a strong military mind, insisting on covering her back as she walked ahead. It was safer, she supposed, but the landscape was so flat they could see miles out in every direction. She would've preferred a friend to talk and walk by her side rather than a knight at her back.

She grimaced at improperly calling Kain a knight. (Dragoon! He was a Dragoon.) It was because of Ultimecia - _Why don't you ask your knight in shining armour?_

Truthfully, Tifa had had her fill of getting rescued by strong, cool-and-collected men. First that Warrior of Chaos, and now Kain. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate getting rescued, it was just that-

She _wasn't weak_! She _shouldn't_ have to be rescued, much less twice in the same day. These Warriors of Chaos were really something to necessitate all this.

The sound of a heavy footfall behind her made her whirl.

Nothing. Except for a paranoid Kain, leaning forward on one leg.

"Kain," she began as if they had been talking all along, the lecture already evident by her tone, "You're really not talking to me? You don't care if you're thought of as a traitor?" Her hand was on her hip.

He ignored her questions, pretending some threat was on the horizon. Honestly...

"Am I supposed to think that you don't think of us as friends? Is it better to think so?" she tried to goad him into saying something. _Of course we're friends, Tifa,_ he might say. Or, _Don't think we're not friends, Tifa._ She snorted internally. He wouldn't say either of those in a million years.

Unless he didn't think they were friends? They were allies, for sure, but she supposed being friends was a different thing from being allies. Had she mistaken all those half-smiles and shared elixirs as friendship when they were, in reality, simply concern for a comrade in arms? That stung more than she wanted to admit. She thought her and the other Warriors of Cosmos were really getting through to him. She knew that he and Lightning had good conversation, about things more lasting than the weather, at least.

She latched onto one of her swirling thoughts and voiced it. "Then, who _are_ your friends? Only the people you remember from your homeworld?" She waited a beat, then asked, "You don't want to remember this world? You don't want friends from this world?"

His reply was quick and very quiet. He didn't look at her as he answered. "You are free to think what you will."

She kept her frown small, not wanting to play the part of pouty kid. He didn't want their friendship, then? He was fine just keeping to himself and Cecil... "So you get your memory back, you know something, and that's it? Come on!"

It may have been her imagination, but he could've breathed a sigh.

"It might be good for you, but if I lose my friends in this world... I'd be all by myself." _And you don't even want to be friends, so that means I'm down one,_ she thought cuttingly to herself. Ugh. No, that didn't sound like her. She couldn't give up on him. She was no quitter!

A new determination wound its way up her spine, straightening her posture. That's right. She'd win him over! He was going to soften up sometime, be it from her friendly overtures or from her cooking... she could teach him how to throw a good punch... something!

He surprised her when he turned to face her. From this angle, his eyes were hidden. His lips were turned down though. "There is nothing to discuss."

She just grinned, new plans shooting through her mind one by one. "Well, aren't you stubborn?" And then she balled her fists tighter subconsciously. "But I'm pretty stubborn myself, you know."

And then- definitely not her imagination- he smirked.

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><p><strong>An**: As you could probably tell, a lot of the dialogue from this chapter was lifted straight from the game. Future chapters (if you want them, of course) will not be quite this heavy on game-dialogue. Also, I'm trying to think of a name for this couple. Opinions? (I was thinking Highhart?) Feedback is welcome!


	2. The Armour Comes Off

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy Square Enix**

**A/n:** Thanks for reading the second chapter! Tell me how I'm doing.

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><p>Kain watched her back with half a mind. That half of his mind admired the clear, pale skin of her midriff, how the muscle lying beneath the skin moved fluidly. There was little doubt in his mind concerning her physical beauty - it was unique and unparalleled.<p>

The other half of his mind turned their mostly one-sided conversation over and over. Their conversation about... friends. He'd known that she valued companionship highly, but who could've guessed she'd value _his_ companionship so highly? She seemed offended at his sparse replies, at the notion of his only desiring friends from his own world.

That was very far from the truth, of course. But she was free to believe what she wanted. He didn't want to find himself closer to her than he needed to be. The level of attraction he held for her was already dangerous.

They continued walking. He very nearly scooped her up and leapt the whole way back, their pace was that slow. He supposed he should conserve energy though. He hadn't had a rest for roughly 20 hours.

She stopped in place, then stretched her sides and turned to him. "Let's take a break," she said suddenly.

Hm. How did she... he would chalk that up to coincidence.

"It'll be sundown soon, anyway. Come on. There's a shelter over there." She nodded her chin at a rock formation up ahead. The terrain had become much less barren as they continued to travel, and there were several similar collections of rocks around the one Tifa had selected. He'd scout them first.

Stubborn as she was, she insisted on scouting as well. He re-scouted what she'd done, and she, in response, and with eyebrows raised, re-scouted his portion. Both their searches turned up nothing, so they met at the mouth of the chosen cavern.

"Come on," she said simply, then stepped into the partial dark. He followed her closely.

Once they were far enough inside, she plopped unceremoniously onto her behind. "I'm bushed!"

He stood and leant against the wall opposite her. "Rest. I will take watch."

She looked up at him from her position on the ground as if he were crazy. What she lacked in height she made up for in incredulity. "Are you serious? You have to be more tired than me." A beat. Then, "I'll take first watch."

His gaze fell to the slight shadowing beneath her eyes. "I insist."

She grumbled at a volume just loud enough for him to hear, "Guess there's no arguing with you, is there." He expected her to cede and turn away from him and fall asleep after a few minutes, maybe snore a little. She seemed like the type.

Instead she lay down flat on her back and pillowed her head with her folded arms. It couldn't have been comfortable, but she was dozing just the same. Her breathing evened, her chest began to move up and down at a steady pace. He realized a little late that the angle he observed her at provided a view up her skirt, and turned swiftly away, sighing disgustedly at himself, accident or no.

He had a view out the entrance of the cave now. He was tempted to move closer to the entrance to give himself a better angle on his surroundings, but then he risked exposure. Not to mention the increased distance between himself and Tifa.

All the same, he managed to spot something. It flitted across the landscape quickly, a blur of tan skin and metal. Adrenalin spurted into his system and forced him closer to the opening. He watched the figure disappear and recognized it as Vaan. And he was alone.

His lips twisted into a mild grimace. It was good - Vaan hadn't been felled, but it was bad - he'd have to inflict sleep upon another comrade, another young one. He knew what he'd taken on when he decided to do this. Still, he couldn't stop those slight twinges of guilt when an ally would be lying on the ground, confused and hurt. They never cursed him, never got angry. They only asked him why. There was a reason why they were warriors on the side of good.

They would revive. The only reason he did this was so that they could revive, and win this war. He would not revive. He'd already planned to double-cross the Warrior of Light, and put him to sleep, too. It was foolhardy, but he thought that maybe he'd challenge one of Chaos' elite warriors. He'd make his mark that way, and he had a good chance of reviving, after all. Even if he was a pawn in this game, he still had to do all that he could. All to win the war.

He turned to the sleeping woman behind him. She was sound asleep, and had shifted onto her side, facing him. No snoring, but her lips would move on occasion.

How easy it would be to put her deep into slumber now. She was already sleeping, though this sleep was natural. Still, there would be no confusion, no hurt. And when she awoke, no memory of anything at all.

She wouldn't know it was he who had betrayed them. She wouldn't even know she had been betrayed. She wouldn't remember this trip. She wouldn't remember... him.

He swallowed nothing, easing the sudden dryness of his throat.

She wouldn't remember him. He... he didn't know what to think of that.

"Mm," she murmured. He turned to see if she had awoke. She hadn't, was just mumbling in her sleep. He watched as her forearm drew toward her chest and her hand closed over the spot where her heart would be. Then she uttered something else. He wasn't sure if it was a word, but it sounded like-

He kept his gaze on the horizon outside and listened carefully.

"Cloud," she said, confirming his suspicion. He turned again, to check whether or not she was awake. Still sleeping.

Cloud. He stared at the perfectly cloudless sky. Why would Tifa sleep-talk about clouds? Perhaps... a memory? Her subconcious must have still retained some awareness of her homeworld. The memory must be strong to have survived into this world.

Her sharp inhale caught his attention and he turned to her once again. This time, she was awake. She woke as if from a very deep dream, disoriented and still groggy. She propped herself up on an arm. "How long was I out?"

"Approximately three hours," he answered. "Do you need more rest?" Even as he asked, he knew the answer she'd give.

"No, it's your turn," she croaked, sleep still clogging her throat. She sat up fully and blinked away the remaining traces of her nap. Then she pulled herself up onto her feet and walked toward him, her long hair catching the slight air currents in the cave. "Go, really," she urged, even gesturing to the exact same spot she had lain in. "I'll be a good watch, I promise."

He uncrossed his arms from over his chest, acquiesing.

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><p>Tifa tried to rub her eyes discreetly. She had the feeling that if Kain knew she was still tired, he'd go without sleep for the whole night in deference to her.<p>

She hadn't realized she was still turned in his direction until he'd taken his helmet off. Her first glimpse of his face was through her fingers.

Right away she noticed that he was blond. Blond-haired and blue-eyed. His blond was a blond of the prettiest kind, cornsilk, and on top of that his hair was long. She'd never have guessed this for him.

His eyes were what got her though. Unshaded by his helmet, they were an arresting cobalt blue. They were serious, even near sleep as they were now, and framed by dark lashes. Her brain strained beneath the confines of an absent memory, grasping at another pair of blue eyes.

How embarassing it was then, when she continued to stare absently as he began to shuck the rest of his armour.

"Eep! Sorry!" she shrieked, spinning in place and covering her eyes with her hands. The sound of her pounding heart only served to augment her mortification. He didn't reply, only continued to remove his armour from the sound of it.

When her embarassment began to fade, a thought came to her - why was he removing his armour in her presence anyway? In the presence of a lady?

"Tifa."

Her hands fell from her eyes to cover her nose and mouth. Her reply was muffled, but still managed to come out as a squeak. "Yes?"

"I feel as if I should clarify a point."

She covered her eyes again. Her shoulders had risen to nearly her ears in anticipation for some fresh humiliation. Maybe he'd ask, casually, whether or not she was a pervert. "Go right ahead, Kain."

"You will be watching both my armour and I. Battling with just the one layer would be less than convenient."

Tifa's mind broke out into a sprint. And then - either she was an idiot, or just very intuitive - she turned around.

Kain sat in the spot she had previously occupied, blond-haired and blue-eyed as ever, next to an assortment of arm and leg armour. And he was still fully clothed. As if to mock her, the spikes decorating the surface of his armour glinted in the poor lighting.

Well, of course. How did she expect him to sleep in all of that?

His skin was still completely hidden from view, save that of his hands, neck and face. He was wearing what appeared to be a bodysuit made of some kind of dense, dyed cloth, the same indigo as his armour. She about-faced all the same though. A blush rose to her cheeks. The bodysuit left little to the imagination. "Okay, can do," she squeaked again. At least he'd allowed her to finish that exchange with most of her dignity in tact.

The time had passed for a regular reply to be made, so she settled into her position. She didn't expect it when his voice broke the silence again.

"Thank you."

She nearly whirled on him and gaped. But her mind supplied an image of his richly muscled thighs, barely concealed beneath his bodysuit, and she halted. (Some parts of a guy, she just didn't expect to see, you know?)

Now, the time had passed for _her _to make a reply. But she cleared her throat self-consciously and composed a reply. "What are friends for?" And she tossed a quick smile over her shoulder, not daring to see if he had caught it.

Silence fell again. After some time had passed, she could hear his breathing, deep and slow. This was enough indication to her that he was sleeping. She'd rather not check with her eyes. She stared out the sliver of an entrance at a clear, dark sky. The sky could always hold her attention. She liked to think that she did this before in her homeworld. It calmed her, made her feel safe. To her, the sky was always pressing close, and instead of feeling claustrophobic, she felt warm, as if the sky were cut from a cloth that could wrap around her. She liked it even more when she could see the stars. They swirled above her like a galactic smoothie. They were sparkly, white dots in her fabric sky. Peaceful to look at. Beautiful.

She was on the edge of sleep when the sound of footsteps echoed out to meet her.

She snapped to attention and focused her gaze out the cave. A bright, white shirt caught her attention, as did a billowing purple train. Yuna!

Tifa readied her vocal chords for some yelling. But then she thought again. What if the sound attracted attention from the enemy?

And Kain. She turned to him now, the quiet of the night easing her earlier embarassment. He was so tired. He'd probably fall over from sleep deprivation without her around. The man might be serious, confident, strong, and whatever else, but it struck her that he was terribly selfless. He always volunteered himself for dead-of-the-night watches, dug up his last potion for wreckless Laguna, or took rear guard - the most dangerous position in their traveling formations. He needed someone around to care for him. If she could be that person for the next day or so, why shouldn't she jump at the chance? To add to that, she still had a friendship to cement. He was getting some special cooking, Tifa-style, when they got back, and nothing was stopping her.

The soft stitch of Yuna's footfalls faded.

The echo of a new stride sounded. Tifa's. She backed carefully farther into the cave toward the sleeping dragoon. Admittedly, his armour drew her curiosity. And now that he had shed it, what better chance was there for her to get a good look? She let herself stare at a wrist guard for about half a minute, then took it in hand. It was surprisingly heavy. She was no slouch - the very nature of her style required strong wrists - but it was almost incomprehensible that he should wear this every day. No wonder he was so muscular.

She lifted her gaze to him. He slept in a sitting position with his back against the wall, forearms over his chest, long legs crossed at the ankles. His hair was tied back - when did that happen? Did he carry elastics with him? And she had to internally giggle - and the meager light hit the planes of his face nicely. It occured to her that he was actually quite handsome. Did he have a woman who loved him? A phantom image sprung to mind: Kain in full Dragoon regalia standing protectively in front of a slim blonde woman.

Tifa blinked and the image receded. Somehow, she had ended up clenching her teeth, so she relaxed her jaw. Why get so worked up over Kain's imaginary girlfriend? Of her own imagination, no less. It was probably because he was so closed off. It was hard to imagine him getting close to anyone.

She set the wrist armour down with its mate, and followed it to the floor of the cavern. Kain's eyebrows were drawn together in his sleep. Were his troubles so great that he couldn't escape them even now? Maybe it had to do with Zidane. She didn't believe for one second that Kain had attacked Zidane in cold blood. She'd bring it up again tomorrow.

She nearly sighed. She had her own worries, too. What about the silver-haired man? He had attacked her, claimed to know her, desired her downfall. Clearly they were from the same world, and knew each other - well, at least he knew her. All she'd gotten from that encounter was a nearly nicked neck, and a flash of memory: him standing in the midst of a fire. Maybe they were enemies then, too. At least he could be pinned.

Unlike Cloud. The blonde Warrior of Chaos that had defended her against his own ally... just what was his deal? Something about him niggled at her. He'd said they didn't know each other, but it seemed pretty clear to her that he knew the silver-haired man - Sephiroth, was it? And the animosity between them looked to be pretty deep. No way it was fresh. And if Cloud knew Sephiroth and Sephiroth knew her...

And there was something about the way Cloud had cut her off, so absolutely - _no, I've never met you before _- that had her intuition flickering. At the time, she had been disappointed, almost too openly, but now she knew that there was more to him that just being "unpredictable". If they ran into each other again, there was going to be some questioning to the nth degree.

She summoned her last memory of him. He wore a lot of black, that was for certain. He wore fingerless gloves like she did. White boots, white collar. A belt cinching his waist, above which were graceful-looking shoulder blades, and gracefully built shoulders to match. His voice was a pleasant tenor-bass. His accent was actually similar to hers.

Which brought her to his face. She didn't get a good glimpse of his face. His hair was spiky, she knew that. Very spiky. He was blond - since she was noticing everyone's looks today, why was everyone blond(e) but her?

When she broke him down, he seemed like a typical fighter with a shrouded past. But when it all came together, when all those bits assembled into his actual person... there was a magnetism there. She felt like she was supposed to know him.

She craned her neck to look up at the stars.

* * *

><p>He woke up much too warm. It was almost to the point of sweltering. His bodysuit was of the highest grade, but this felt more like heat-generating rather than heat-retaining.<p>

He very nearly uncrossed his legs to stand before he noticed Tifa.

The brawler was pressed against his side, her back to him. Her head had settled into the space between the wall and his bicep. She was completely asleep.

Not moving, he assessed their environment. It was the same cavern they had stopped off in. They were the only ones around that he could detect. His armour lay scattered around them both - she must have knocked it aside in her slumber. Strangely enough, he couldn't find it in him to be very stressed that she had fallen asleep while on guard. He'd known she was tired, even after her nap. They were fine, besides.

As he'd noticed, she was very warm. His left side was so hot that his right side felt cold in comparison. With a gentleness even he didn't know he possessed, he touched his palm to her forehead. No fever. He craned his neck to look at her. From his angle, she was pretty cheekbones and long lashes. The closest they had ever been. Her breath was sweet, and their hair mingled. He felt his heart pump his blood fully, flooding long-forgotten recesses.

This was something he didn't know he could feel. He felt his rough edges soften. He felt content, happy to be in just this one moment.

_Thank you, Tifa, _he thought, gazing at her sleeping face. She contained multitiudes- brought out multitudes in him. She was bold, unyielding, combative, and threw a hell of a punch. But she was caring, intuitively trusting, and in moments like this, serene. She was both figuratively and literally warm. And she spread that warmth, even to self-admitted, cool-headed men.

He could be happy with her, he knew. In another world, another time, where they had all the time in the world, he would've told her. But the reality was that this cycle of battle was drawing to a close. Their time here was numbered. And yet, she made him want for more...

He stayed very still as she radiated warmth. This was enough for this time and place. Contentment swaddled him like cotton.

She rolled onto her side, then, and with that she slid down the length of his arm and into his lap. The second she hit his thighs she startled awake. "Kain?" she said immediately.

"Good morning," he simply said from above her.

In a strange slow-motion she seemed to realize just where she was, and who she was lying on top of. Her breath flowered hotly over his stomach at first, then her hands came up to give her some leverage. They landed on his chest and knee. Then her eyes snapped open and she saw his face. He worked to keep his expression neutral. Hard, when an attractive woman is grabbing at your pectorals.

She bolted straight up, probably giving herself a headrush, and backed up, probably scraping her knees and the seat of her skirt. "Oh gosh, I'm _so_sorry," she apologized, the timbre of her sleepy voice not unpleasant.

"It's-"

"For everything! For falling asleep on watch, and for falling asleep on _you_, and for-" she gestured a little wildly at his armour, "- doing that! Gosh, I'm such an idiot sometimes." She was blushing. Not something he ever expected from her, and something he expected occured very rarely for her, but he supposed _friends_ never did fall asleep on top of each other.

He stood, letting his blood circulate in all its usual ways. He began to don armour as she babbled and blushed. When she finished, he was pulling on his thigh guards. "Tifa, could I bother you for my knee guards. They're at your feet."

She plucked them up quickly and handed them over. As he took them from her, he made it a point to look her in the eyes. "Thank you."

She physically stammered. Was it that rattling to receive a thank you from him? Or perhaps she was still recovering from waking in his lap. In some ways, he was recovering himself. He felt soft still, half-swaddled in contentment.

She averted her gaze quickly. "You don't have to thank me. I fell asleep on you. Figuratively and literally."

His lips pulled up at one corner at her phrasing. Strange, how they both seemed to think. She was going to make him say it, wasn't she? "You traded your sleep for mine. You have my thanks."

Nearly imperceptibly, her eyes widened. A spark flitted through them. He found it pleasant that he should be the source of such a look. Her lips parted in surprise. He bent and looped his knee guard around his leg.

When he'd finished, he straightened and found her in the same position. She was smiling. That smile was infectious, much like her warmth. And before he knew it, he was smiling back.

* * *

><p>Tifa turned around to give Kain a little more privacy, and to break eye contact. Somehow watching him put his armour on seemed just as invasive as watching him taking it off. As for the eye contact...<p>

Kain _smiling_ was groundbreaking enough, but she could tell he was being genuine with that smile - it reached all the way up to his eyes. Most people started with the mouth for a smile, but not Kain. His smile began in his eyes, crinkling at proto-laughlines, then pulled up at his cheeks, and finally at the corners of his lips. This was what she saw sequentially. What she felt sequentially was disbelief, happiness, and bashfulness.

She didn't know why, but sharing a smile with Kain made her feel... fidgety.


	3. Promise

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy © Square Enix**

**A/n:** Hey, so I've slowed down considerably on this story (lost my excitement for this, I guess). But I will try to write. Thank you for reading, and thank you to those who have left a review so far!

* * *

><p>"Kain?"<p>

He looked to his right. Tifa insisted on traveling side-by-side this morning, so he had a perfect view of her profile. He had grown used to her talking rings around him, so he waited for the inevitable question that was to follow.

But then she was looking at him, a question scrawled across her face. Waiting for his go-ahead?

"Yes, Tifa."

"What do you remember from your homeworld?"

His intuition told him that she was taking a circuitous route to her real question. He answered all the same. "I remember Cecil as a friend and rival. I remember Cecil's brother as well."

"You were close, then, for them to be your first memories," she deduced in a quieter register than usual. Her reasoning was exact, and he was impressed. Then her voice rose to its usual volume, "Do you remember anyone else?"

Was this it, then? _Anyone_, she said. The issue of friends again. He answered honestly. "No one."

She seemed unwilling to believe him. "No one? Not... parents? Not other Dragoons? Not..." she trailed off.

His answer was firm. "No one."

She didn't question him further, just kept pace. After the optimistic talkativeness of yesterday and the nervous babbling earlier this morning, he thought he'd hear more from her. Maybe his silence was affecting her. The last thing he needed or wanted was a taciturn Tifa. He clumsily began an attempt at reassurance. "It's not as though... I do not consider all of you my allies."

She glanced at him as if surfacing from a pool. "Huh?"

How would he explain to her? He couldn't very well profess that he was falling for her slowly and surely. He had to prove in another way that they were... friends. He could only think to let her in on the secret of this place. He cleared his throat. "I bear grim news."

She leveled a cautious look at him. That was certainly a look she'd never sent his way before.

"I did not wish to worry you with such news, as comrades. However, as a warrior summoned to this realm, you should know the truth and what awaits."

Her eyes tightened with, indeed, worry. "The truth... and what's about to occur?"

He took a deep breath inward. In a way, he'd known it would come to this, ever since she'd proven herself more loyal than he deserved. He remembered predicting that she'd strip him of his secrets. He may as well divulge all he knew. "I shall talk if you so wish. You'll- forget eventually."

Her eyes cleared, and worry was replaced with determination. He'd piqued her interest. "I don't completely understand. But fine, tell me what you know."

He stopped in place, and she stopped with him. They were on new terrain, a series of landmasses suspended above a kind of green plasma. The plasma glowed, throwing their shadows every which way.

He began. "This war is neverending. The battle between Cosmos and Chaos has revived for many cycles, and so have its warriors."

He watched the play of emotions across her features. Her lips clamped tight, her eyelids fluttered, her gaze fixed on him. Trying to see his eyes.

"In order for warriors to revive, our memories have to be cleared completely. That is why we retain nothing of our homeworlds, nor of our time spent here previously."

"Our time here?"

He nodded once. "I fought in the last cycle and fell. I was revived for this cycle."

Her eyes narrowed. "You remembered this?"

"I was told so."

"Who told you?" she was thinking quickly, her mind spooling ahead, and her questions came just as fast.

"Cecil's brother, Golbez."

She must have recognized the name as one of the enemy, but she said nothing. Her trust in him was so absolute that he wondered just what he had done. Her shoulders fell the slightest bit - a bit of fight drained out of her. She seemed accepting. Her next question was not quite so fierce. "Does this cycle... does this have something to do with Zidane?"

So perceptive. Except for when it came to herself. He thought back to this morning - _gosh, I'm such an idiot_, she had said. How could she possibly see herself that way, when she was the way she was? "I have induced a false slumber upon the others. This is to avoid their slaying by manakins. Manakins end the cycle by rendering us unable to revive."

"But," she spoke up immediately, "isn't that worse? Our numbers falling, I mean. It renders the rest of us vulnerable." Her quick grasp of this was commendable, and he wondered if beneath it all she was a strategist as well.

He knew of her point all too well. That was why he had to force this slumber upon as many of his comrades as quickly as possible. The more time spent in a lull, the greater the danger became. But of course, there were more variables. "As we are, we are not strong enough to guarantee victory over Chaos. We need our crystals. However, this cycle has drawn to nearly a close. The manakins' numbers are growing too quickly for us to handle. I am forcing our defeat in order to revive for the next battle. It is during the next cycle that we will amass our powers into crystals." It was only at this part of the explanation that his gaze fell from her face. From what he'd seen of her, Tifa was a true fighter, and not likely to approve of his plan. If she engaged him, he would have no choice...

His uncertainty grew when she turned away from him. Her ponytail swung at the small of her back. She emitted a sigh. When she finally spoke, she sounded shaken. "So, no matter how hard we fight, we can't win."

At that, he closed his eyes. He hated wresting hope from her.

She continued. "Getting these crystals sure is a pain. I wish they'd just show up already. Then... we might have had a chance at actually ending things this time around." The pain she tried to conceal with the lightness of her tone still seemed obvious to him.

"Don't dwell on it," he advised. Then he looked away from her, at the strange place they were in, and said what he'd dreaded all this time. "When you wake, you won't remember the things we've had to endure." He tried not to think of her in that cave with their allies, sleeping and losing her memories. He pushed on, still seeing the sadness in the way her shoulders had slumped. "And when you have your crystal, you'll have no more reason to despair."

She turned to look at the landscape as well, and he could only make out her finely pointed nose and cracked lips. She licked them. "I guess so."

What would she do now, he wondered. Then he heard the creak of her gloves. Balling her fists.

"Well then, I guess we better go find everyone else!"

Startled, he said, "What?"

She turned to him, her back straight and stance just so. "You thought I'd let you go alone? I mean, come on! You look like you're ready to fall over."

He would have shaken his head in disbelief if she hadn't immobilized him with her words. She was...

"I'm still not really sure that what you're doing is right, putting everyone to sleep and all. But you do. And you're going to keep on doing it, right? You believe in yourself, and you're gonna go as far as you can." She took a few steps closer to him, showing him the fire in her eyes. "Well then... I am too. I don't... I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I wanna help you fight, so I can help keep everyone safe."

Extraordinary. She was extraordinary.

He listened to every word she said clearly, and with such strong intent that he felt his own eyes could have been alight.

"It's not fair. I mean getting summoned here, forced to fight, disappearing... everything. We're not just a bunch of faceless soldiers. We're friends, and we've been through a lot together."

So he did manage to convince her of the strength of their bond. He was glad.

But... he was exposing her to a world of hurt, here. The idea of her fighting and then putting their allies under was completely unlike her. Then again, the idea of her as a safeguard for others was completely like her.

He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Again, her mind was made and again, he'd try to deter her. "We could well fall along the way, and never see an end to this war. You'd still go?"

"You're still going," she retaliated, leaning toward him. "You know what we're up against, but you're not backing down."

It was practically decided then. He couldn't help it - one last try. "I can make no promise you'll survive."

She looked at him. Unflinchingly, she said, "I know."

* * *

><p><em>I can make no promise you'll survive.<em>

_Hey, why don't we make a promise?_

_Come on! Promise me!_

An immense pressure made itself known in Tifa's mind. It manifested physically into pressure at the back of her eyeballs.

_Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind... you come save me, alright?_

Tifa stopped walking, bent over, hands bracing her knees. Kain's voice - _Tifa?_ - and this: _Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to experience that at least once._

Her chest was heaving. She couldn't open her eyes - it was too bright. That voice... it sounded like her, a younger version. Was this a hallucination? Was it a memory?

_Alright... I promise._

Extra bursts of light behind her eyelids. The voice of a boy. What was she hearing?

_Alright... I promise._

Something clicked into place. That accent. Just like hers. Hers and...

"Tifa?"

The pressure subsided. She straightened slowly, her breathing still ragged.

"Do you require more rest?" asked Kain softly, near her back. She must be woozy, or he wouldn't be ready to catch her.

"No," she answered. "I just... I think I experienced a memory just now."

She heard the catch in Kain's breath, but he asked her nothing.

She began to walk, and Kain fell behind, taking rear guard once again. She felt bad. He must know she needed to figure out this memory.

There wasn't much to figure out though, really. She knew this now:

She'd known Cloud in her childhood.

They'd made a promise that he'd rescue her when she was in trouble.

He rescued her a few days ago, true to their promise.

And the final, obvious conclusion: Cloud remembered her as she remembered him.

That spark she felt all those days ago... it was real. Subsisting through worlds and times.

There were more questions now. Who was he to her? Who was she to him? What had happened since that promise was made? Since they were both adept fighters, she imagined their lives couldn't have been easy.

She wasn't sure what this all meant. She thought she wanted her memories back, but now she didn't know what to do with this one. Should she try to find him? Maybe he knew more than she did. What if he could tell her more?

She wanted to shake her head. _And what if he told her more?_ It was already hard for her to see him as an enemy- what if he told her they were actually friends? How would she deal with that _in this world_, when they were pitted against each other like this? Friends meant the world to her. He could mean the world to her.

Was ignorance bliss?

"Tifa."

Tifa turned in surprise.

"I can see that you have been strongly affected by this memory. Are you in need of some time to sort it out?"

She was confused. Wasn't he leaving her alone now so she could...

She realized he meant to ask if she needed time away from _him_and their mission.

"No!" she told him, more assertively than even she expected. "It's all... sorted. It just raised some questions for me."

After a pause, he inquired, "Doubts?"

He read her like an open book. Not that she was trying particularly hard to hide the way she was feeling. "I think- Can I just- I'm going to talk a lot. Are you okay with that?"

A hint of amusement bent Kain's mouth. He nodded.

She felt it was appropriate to sit, so she sat. Kain sat as well, as naturally as possible in a 35 pound suit of armour. It was strange to see, but also immeasurably sweet. She knew he had it somewhere in him.

"The memory I heard just now, I think I've always had with me. It just fits so well into what's happened here, and all I needed to do was pull it out." She darted a look his way. He was listening.

She bit her bottom lip. "It's from when I was a kid. I was asking to make a promise with someone. A promise that, whenever I was in trouble, he'd come save me, like a hero. He promised me yes." She started her next sentence in her head many times over: that boy- that man- "He's here, that guy. And he's on the side of Chaos. His name is Cloud."

Had she seen his eyes, she would have caught the flash of sudden understanding in them.

"I'm not sure that I can fight him when the time comes. He could be my friend. He saved me once already, from his own ally," she explained.

"Just like your promise."

His words surprised her- he was such a good listener. They were spoken quickly, whipping out and catching her ankles. There was a gravity in his voice. "Yeah," she agreed breathlessly.

There was a moment of quiet, and then he stood, pivoting away from her. She scrambled to her feet after him. "Fighting with doubt is no way to fight at all," he said quietly. Then he turned to face her. "You are free to make your own choice."

Her own choice? Did he mean between Cosmos and Chaos? Confusion fell upon her. For some reason, she thought that Kain would have had more of an opinion than that.

No, not for some reason. For several reasons. He cared so much about their friends and about winning this war that he'd shoulder the burden of ensuring that they all stayed alive for the next cycle. She thought he cared enough to have an opinion. She thought he was involved enough to care. She thought he would want to hold onto her.

"I would never turn my back on everyone," she said to Kain's - oddly enough - back. "I just don't think I can fight _him_."

Kain didn't turn back to her, just looked out on their surroundings - green liquid shifting and glowing.

His lack of a response irked her. Usually she just accepted his stoicism as a part of his character, but _this_...

She felt her throat dry up and all that moisture collect in her eyes. "It doesn't matter, does it? Whether or not I side with Chaos or Cosmos. I... you don't need me for what you're doing."

The creak of his armour told her that he had moved. She couldn't see through the tears she was trying to hold in. She stared at the ground, afraid to blink.

He came to her. "You do not have to fight Cloud," he told her softly. Then he was taking hold of her face, cupping a cheek in each hand. His thumbs ghosted over her lids, shutting her eyes, spilling her tears. And with his thumbs he cleanly wiped each tear away. Then, as she opened her eyes to see him there, he dropped his hands from her face.


	4. Kiss of Clarity

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy © Square Enix**

* * *

><p>His palms were burning.<p>

Touching Tifa's face... what was he _thinking_? As if he needed to feel the softness of her skin. As if he needed to be warmed by her, figuratively and literally.

He nearly burst into flame when she fixed newly watery eyes on him and said, "Thank you, Kain."

Not trusting himself, he merely nodded. Then he walked past her, not wanting to fall into an awkward moment.

After some damp breaths were taken, she spoke. "We can get going again."

He chose to trust her words and not her tone. He began to walk.

She caught his hand before he could go much farther. Like an idiot, he turned to see just what she was doing (besides overheating his hand).

She saw right into his eyes then, he knew. She was too close not to. Her fingers contracted tighter around his, wreaking havoc on his thought processes. His instinct was to squeeze back, and he did. Her eyes softened, and he was almost sure he'd mirrored her.

Sometime through this exchange, she'd gravitated closer. And though it was measured and slow, he didn't see it coming, her embrace. One second she was there, and then she was here. Her stomach was flush against his, her breasts were pressed into his ribs. He was fairly certain their feet were forming a pattern: hers, his, hers, his. Her arms held him, her hands found his shoulderblades. And his arms held her. He rotated his forearms, careful not to prick her. This hug still reached through his layers of armour. It was that feeling at the cave again- contentment.

So perfect was this embrace that he found it inconceivable that it could be improved upon. But Tifa was a woman who bucked logic: create something delicious out of sludge, win the heart of a cold man without knowing it, make a hug better with a kiss.

His helmet made it very difficult for anything or anyone to touch his face. Especially if he didn't want that anyone or anything to touch his face. Tifa was an outstanding exception.

She lifted her face from his neck. He'd assumed she would back away now and act like nothing had happened - for her, a hug was as common as a hair knot - but instead she was probing again, assessing him with those red-brown eyes. And again, slowly, she moved...

And pressed her lips to the one spot on his face where she would not be injured by his helmet. That spot was the corner of his mouth. His eyelids slid shut. He breathed deeply, or at least he tried to.

It was over very quickly. Half a second. But it may as well have been a century, for all he felt shuffling inside his ribcage. In that slip of time, several things concerning Tifa became very clear to him.

First and most obvious, Cloud was not a simple childhood friend of Tifa's. He was at best a best friend and at worst a boyfriend. Kain thought this because, second, he liked her more than he was willing to admit to himself. They talked about their memories, or lack thereof, and they talked about the secret of this place - weighty subjects that had not been dwelled upon with others. It was because of her. Her natural chattiness and seeming sixth sense for his withholding information meant he had no choice but to share his thoughts. And once he did speak, he found that it was better that way... to share the burden of your concerns with someone else. Or maybe it was just _her_. She was uncommonly interested in his plans, and all too willing to be involved.

The last realization sprung from the first two. And it was this: he liked Tifa too much to let her go. He could not leave her to Cloud, nor to the memory-losing slumber. He felt like... fighting for her.

* * *

><p>Something odd was happening to her. Tifa felt something coalescing and sinking in her abdomen.<p>

When she pulled away from Kain, she felt as if she had just exited a state of hypnosis. Had she really just kissed Kain? Though quick and non-lustful it was, it was still a kiss. Her body told her that she didn't kiss much, her heart pounding hard. Still, it felt right. He had been so supremely kind to her, even through her misunderstandings. Was there such a thing as a thank you kiss? This was the closest she could get to one. Mixed in with the thank you was a bit of attraction, a bit of desperation.

And that was the something that was sinking in her abdomen. Knowing that she was lonely with this new memory of her childhood promise, and she was wanting to draw anyone closer, and the person who'd been understanding and _right there _was Kain-

But then there was the attraction, and it sharpened all her other feelings. She'd always been a sucker for a mystery and he definitely was one: always shrouded in armour, speaking few words. There were the qualities she'd come to see: his honesty, his selflessness, his passion. She saw how he respected her, too. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't notice his prowess with his lance or the fact that his jawline was flawless, constantly peeking out from beneath his helmet.

Was the thank you really the biggest part?

They were still standing very close to one another, she realized, and took a step backward.

Her movement seemed to have broken a spell because he cleared his throat and straightened back up - had he bent, knowing she would kiss him? - and said, "Shall we."

She hadn't known she was holding her breath until it gushed out of her lungs just then. She gulped, swallowing nothing, then replied, "Sure."

He waited for her to set their course, but surprised her by falling into step beside and not behind her. For once, she she didn't feel like picking at her past memories or at her apparent future. In this place, it was all you could do - think about the past or future. _Present_ was just... a placeholder. _Present_ was just orchestrating the future. All she really wanted right now was to talk to Kain.

Apparently, so did other people. A voice called loudly across the terrain. "Kain!"

She snapped to attention. Ornate white-blue armour and a flapping cape. It was Cecil. He was still far away, hopefully far enough not to make out what she'd ask Kain. She made a point of looking at him. He exhaled heavily, but gave a single nod.

"Oh, Tifa, that's who else I saw. Hello," Cecil commented upon running up to them.

Tifa gave a tenuous smile. "Hi, Cecil."

Cecil's eyes darted between Tifa and Kain with little subtlety. "So, how'd you end up traveling together?"

She jumped in quickly, sensing Kain's distance from the situation. "He saved me from Ultimecia, then I saved him from falling over from exhaustion."

Cecil was quick to chuckle. "Sounds like Kain. And sounds like you. Shall we search for our crystals together? Kain?"

She honestly didn't know how Kain wanted to handle this. She parroted Cecil, "Kain?"

Kain's jaw was sternly set and his reply was short. "Yes. Let us go." For once, he took point.

She trailed behind with Cecil, accepting now that she wouldn't get a chance to speak with Kain, not for awhile. She'd firmly follow Kain's lead when it came to this slumber business, and he obviously didn't want his best friend sleeping right now.

"Tifa, may I ask you a question?" Cecil suddenly said.

She felt weird speaking to him, knowing what would befall him. "Of course," she replied.

"How is Kain? He doesn't seem well."

She looked up at Kain, walking well over 20 paces in front of them. The trust he had in the both of them was implicit for him to be so far from them at all. Either that, or he was trying to distance himself from them. Her eyes stayed locked on his back and she told Cecil, quietly, "He's tired. He hardly ever rests, and takes everything upon himself." _To what extent, you can't even imagine, _she thought.

"That's Kain," Cecil stated. Then, to her confusion, he added, "He _is _just trying to protect you, though. Surely you can't fault him for that."

Did Kain have a history of protecting specifically her? She didn't think so. But then, Kain was always protecting everyone. That was what Cecil must've meant. She replied in kind. "I guess not. He _is_ always trying to protect everyone. Although, I'm sure no one would complain if he took a rest once in awhile."

She turned to Cecil just in time to catch the funny look he was sending her way. The look dropped from his face quickly.

"What?"

Cecil evaded. "Do you and Kain talk much, Tifa?"

Letting his funny look go for the moment, she thought back. In the cave, where he thanked her. Revealing his plans to her. However, if she were to be honest with herself, a lot of their communication was silent. "Yeah, we talk enough. He's not really the talkative type, if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean," said Cecil. After a moment's pause he pitched an idea to her. "Tifa, if you could, take point? I have some matters to discuss with Kain."

Curious. Cecil could be just as mysterious as Kain, couldn't he? She nodded though, in deference to their friendship. Then she charged ahead, overtaking Kain.

* * *

><p>Kain watched Tifa's form rocket up ahead and slow to a walk about 20 paces from his position. He was not immune to her long hair whipping behind her, or her graceful, even stride.<p>

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Cecil piped up from his flank.

Kain gritted his teeth. He wanted to avoid conversation with Cecil. It would be hard enough forcing slumber upon him. He also hadn't missed the note of admiration in Cecil's voice. However, Cecil had clearly arranged this with the purpose of conversing. He would keep the discourse to a minimum. "What do you want to talk about, Cecil?"

Cecil seemed to fully emerge from behind Kain at this. "I'm already talking about her."

"You sent Tifa ahead to speak about her? Rather tacky, wouldn't you agree?"

Apparently, Cecil chose to ignore this barb. "What have you told her?"

He immediately went on alert. How much did Cecil know? Did he know about the crystals? About his betrayal?

His silence did the trick. Cecil filled it in on his own. "She hasn't told me anything I don't already know. That you're not very talkative, that you're shouldering all the fighting."

They hadn't fought a single enemy together. He shot a glance up at her. Had she invented stories? It was more likely that she'd told a white lie. She would know he couldn't reinvent her stories, and then they'd be under suspicion. And she certainly couldn't say he was tired from felling their own comrades.

"Kain. I know you're keeping something from her."

He looked over at Cecil.

"Now I have your attention," Cecil sighed, shrugging as well. "I don't know exactly what it is, but it's big, isn't it? You're deathly quiet."

_I'm keeping just one secret from her,_ Kain thought. The matter of his falling for her seemed less pressing than the many secrets he was stacking up against Cecil. Cecil was misreading his silence, and he honestly did not mind. Any conjecture Cecil could have over he and Tifa was preferable to Cecil thinking his silence had to do with Cecil himself.

How - for lack of a better word - frightening it was that Cecil could detect a secret between them immediately. He hadn't been walking with them for ten minutes. And how sad it was that he and Tifa had become a unit and Cecil a singular. He... he couldn't be sure. But this feeling of crossing Cecil was strangely familiar.

"How long have you been together?" Cecil asked, turning the conversation away from a darker place.

Kain did not miss the absence of the word _traveling _in Cecil's question, and narrowed his eyes beneath his helmet. "We've been traveling together since yesterday."

The surprise in Cecil's voice was unveiled. "Oh. I would've thought it'd been longer."

Cecil was dangling bait, and Kain reluctantly bit. "Why do you think that?" he sighed.

His friend probably wasn't - but he might as well have been - grinning. "You seem very comfortable around her."

However true that was, he _did not_ want to continue with this conversation. Funny how he could go from being melacholic to annoyed with Cecil so easily. It was the way of their friendship, he supposed. His reply was bored, automatic, and meant to intimidate. "Oh do I," he said flatly, in a way that made it clear that he was not asking a question.

Cecil replied all the same. "Oh, you do. You were walking nearly hand-in-hand when I spotted you."

Kain's frown deepened. "You jest."

Cecil shrugged as if Kain were the difficult one. "When have I ever?"

Kain chose not to say anything. He and Cecil had never spoke of Tifa before, and definitely not in this light, but Cecil sounded weirdly smug. Who knew how Cecil's mind worked? Certainly not Kain. He supposed this evening was all he'd have to spend with Cecil until he slept into the next cycle, though. Perhaps he'd redirect the conversation. "Have you any new memories?"

Cecil hesitated, so Kain knew that there was, in fact, a memory. He waited, and Cecil spoke. "It is... a bit obscure. I believe the person there is of some importance to me. Her armour was certainly similar to mine, and she wielded magic."

There were many things Kain could have asked, but he'd ask them in order. "What do you mean when you say _there_?"

Cecil answered immediately, looking out on the horizon and past Tifa's form. He seemed to be partway in a trance. "The castle. Our home."

"What?"

Cecil turned to Kain, a ghost of that _look _in his eyes. "We lived in a castle in our homeworld, Kain. I feel so sure of it. And she was there with us. This beautiful woman."

Kain couldn't picture any of what Cecil told him, not a bit. _This _world, right here, with Cosmos and Chaos and Tifa, was so real to him and so much connected him to it that he could not fathom another.

But hold on. Cecil had said something that Kain could not simply let go, not with all this Tifa grief. "_Beautiful woman_?" Kain glanced sideways and saw what might have been a blush spread across Cecil's cheeks, and continued. "We live with a beautiful woman?"

Cecil coughed. "Um. No. Not live with."

"Have you any opinions on the beauty of this woman?" He couldn't believe himself. Was he enjoying this teasing?

Cecil's cheeks became a patchy red, uncharmed by Kain's line of questioning. "Have you any opinions on Tifa's beauty?" he shot back.

Kain calmly batted this aside. "No more than yours on this _beautiful woman_."

Cecil coughed again. Then he called out ahead of them, "Tifa, let us look for a place to stay the night." Kain could've smirked. Well, it was clear to him that Cecil's memory was of a particular person.

Tifa ran back to them, finding a place at Kain's right. He could practically see the pent-up energy in her legs, and guessed that she wasn't too happy that Cecil wanted to stop for the night. As she fell into step with them, he saw her fingers tap her thigh to some tune only she heard. "Good talk?"

"It was," Cecil said resolutely. He only managed to say this convincingly because his blush had faded. Kain just nodded once and half-smiled.

Tifa smiled in response to Kain's smile, and he felt Cecil's eyes boring into the back of his helmet. "There are some suitable formations up ahead," he said, refusing to look at Cecil. Tifa nodded, and was only too happy to jog up and scout the areas surrounding a spacious-looking cavern. She was very agile on her feet, and she handled the uneven terrain well. He leapt to join her in her scouting.

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><p><strong>An: **How was this chapter? I have to admit that I am less than certain on Cecil's characterization, but I figured a bit of romantic meddling wasn't too far off base since he meddled with Lightning and Firion (ha). As always, thank you for continuing to read this story, and thank you to those who have reviewed and put this on alert.


	5. Guilt and Forgiveness

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy © ****Square Enix**

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><p>It was just when she broke a sweat that she decided it was time to head back. The fit of energy she'd built up that evening was pretty much worn out, and it was getting dark besides. She could take care of herself, but there was no point in inviting danger back to the cavern.<p>

She'd left Kain and Cecil about an hour ago, figuring that they needed as much time together as possible. She still didn't know how Kain intended on putting Cecil to sleep, but something told her that she should be around when it happened.

She expected friendly banter, maybe an elusive laugh or two when she arrived back at camp. But it was dead silent. All her guards went up instantly. It was against all odds, but Kain and Cecil could have been ambushed, could be out battling elsewhere...

She took quiet, solid steps inside. The last dying rays of the sun afforded little light, so she had to be careful.

Wait. Was that... Cecil?

Cecil was lying against a wall of the cave, his chin to his chest. He looked peaceful, so Tifa guessed that he had fallen asleep naturally. He really was tired. She went further into the dark hoping to find Kain.

Kain was standing at the very back of the cave, still in his armour sans helmet. The blond of his hair seemed to collect sunlight since it shone in the dark.

"Hey, not tired?" she greeted.

Kain didn't turn to her, and right away she knew something was wrong. "No," he said, though he certainly sounded tired.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She felt natural to be asking this. All their time together had made contact so easy.

There was a pause. "Cecil is sleeping."

"I know, he must've been really tired," she responded. But she'd asked what was wrong with Kain, not with Cecil. Just as Tifa was about to ask Kain again, realization dawned on her.

Cecil was what was wrong. Cecil's sleep wasn't natural.

"You put him to sleep?"

Kain bowed his head. "He slept first. I induced the slumber later." He still wouldn't turn to her.

"Cecil... is your best friend. Are you... are you alright?"

The intake of air. Another long pause. If you wanted conversation with Kain, you weren't likely to receive any. "I will take him to a safe place," Kain said, not answering her question. He turned quickly so she couldn't see his face, and made to brush by her.

She surprised them both by placing a hand on his chest. "Wait." She had stopped him mid-stride, but he didn't rest on his heels at this. That darned helmet was off for once, and he couldn't ignore her. He kept to himself, so she expected a fight from him and looked at him directly. "Kain, I don't think you're okay."

He looked over her shoulder, still not making eye contact. "Thank you for your concern."

"Kain."

He turned away from her again, closing those cobalt blue eyes. "Tifa. I will be fine."

She had to insist. He could turn in on himself all night, but she'd be there. If he wasn't opening up now, he would later, and she'd make sure of it. "You might be fine later. But I can tell that you're not right now."

The look on his face was uncertain at best. "You are right. I may be fine later. For the time being, I should transport him somewhere el-"

"Kain," Tifa interrupted, fed up. "You are allowed to comfort me, right?" she asked, referring to this morning, and her voice rose in pitch at the thought of that kiss. "Am I not allowed to do the same?"

Kain nodded like the gentleman he was. "That you are."

"So let me. I know what I signed on for." And before she could chicken out, she took one of his hands and squeezed it. When he didn't pull away, she took his other hand. She had taken her gloves off long ago, so their palms were pressed to each other's. His hands were as warm as they had been on her cheeks. "Come on."

He was staring at their joined hands, still not meeting her gaze. His hands were large and dense, nails cut short. Hers were pale, but worn, with identically cut nails. Hands made to hold weapons, hands made to fight. And here they were.

When the tension in his fingers unwound, she knew his resistance was gone. She gave his palms a squeeze to draw his attention. "You should rest. Let's get that armour off."

She had to wait, but he nodded once. "Please move Cecil farther in," he requested in that same tired voice. Apparently trusting her to do so, he began to shuck his armour himself.

When Cecil was sleeping against the back wall of the cave, Kain had shed all his armour excepting his chestplate. She watched him lift the carefully crafted metal over his head, tilting his head in a way that made his hair fall in a blonde curtain at the side of his face. When he set the chestplate on the ground, she took a step toward him. This would be the hard part. She didn't want to pry, but she had to open somehow. "What did you talk about?"

He sat slowly, not folding his limbs, and leant against the wall. She followed his example, though she sat in the middle of the cavern so she could be close enough to make out his face in the dark.

He said, with an unexpected but welcome bit of amusement in his tone, "We talked about beautiful women."

She didn't know whether to laugh. "And how was that?"

"Annoying," Kain said, and now she did laugh, if not partly from shock at anything annoying stoic Kain. Then he said, "But good. Cecil remembered his girlfriend, even if he would not say as much."

Tifa smiled. Through this, she saw a facet of Kain's capacity to be a true friend. He caught her smile, and quieted. He flipped his hands palm up, and examined them.

"He'll see her again," she said, the words breaking apart a little in her throat.

He clenched his fists so that his nails left imprints in his palms. "I can only hope."

"No. He will," she said certainly, and inched closer to him, their knees nearly touching. She had never seen him unsure of himself, however slight. "You made it so. Not just by doing this. You're a good friend, Kain, and that always counts for something."

There was a pause. "I'm flattered," he said. He didn't sound tired anymore, but he didn't sound flattered either.

She jumped at this, babbling, heaping compliments on his qualities. "Really, Kain. You're a great listener, and you really know how to take care of people, sometimes at a cost to yourself." Her hand was on his knee now. When did that happen? "You just have to let others take care of you when the time comes."

Kain continued to surprise her. He said, "Like you?"

Her hand slid off of his knee. "What?"

He watched her hand fall to the ground, and at his straight face, she could've blushed. "You are implicating yourself as one of the people to take care of me, are you not?"

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, yes. Everyone else too, though. I know Jecht and Laguna look out for you, too, and they'd step in if they ever felt they had to."

"Jecht has spoken to me," Kain told her.

She looked up at him, smiled a small smile. "What'd he say?"

"He said I should socialize more amongst the Warriors."

Her brow unknitted and her smile turned into a grin. "And you took that advice to heart, did you?"

His remarkably direct gaze found hers. "I implemented it recently."

The weight of his statement hit its mark. Her smile was morphing a lot. It turned shy. She swallowed nothing. "I'm glad."

"I as well." His voice was considerably gentler than when they'd started. It made her stomach fill with butterflies. She was so engrossed in his voice that she nearly missed what he was saying, now.

"I have betrayed Cecil before," he offered in that soft voice.

She snapped to attention.

His gaze had fallen from her eyes to the dip in her collarbone. His focus was on something far away though, judging from the pensive look on his face. He inhaled, and she got the impression that he was gathering his strength. "When I struck Cecil, a memory overtook me."

She reached over, taking his hand again. _I'm listening._

As she hoped, Kain continued. "I struck him in the same manner I did tonight. I raised my lance above him, and - this I am sure of - my intent was to kill."

She bit down hard, jaws clenching. Her thumb stroked the back of his hand.

He soldiered on. "It comes to me through a haze. It is certainly I who raised a weapon against my closest friend. But I had a feeling that my body was not my own."

So this was it. She kept her eyes on him, studying the arch of his neck and the slouch of his shoulders. As if he were bowing under the weight of his guilt. She saw the sadness in his eyes and in the way his lips had turned down. Wondering if betrayal was his legacy.

She pulled herself over to his side and gave his hand a squeeze. "Kain."

He was slow to reply, as if unloading that burden had been too much. "Yes, Tifa?"

"You know that... this isn't the same. What we're doing is making a better future. Sleep isn't death, Kain," she began, treading carefully. She made sure to say _we_ and not just _you_, because she was part of this slumber business, too, now.

From the downward shift of his eyes she could tell he was brewing dozens of retorts in his mind. Retorts that would incriminate him as the worst of friends, undeserving of pity.

She couldn't change what had already been done. She could do her best under the circumstances, though, and this was what she'd do for him. "Cecil will forgive you anything, Kain, because you're best friends. Whether or not he remembers what happened. And besides, you said yourself your body wasn't your own. Who knows? Maybe you were being controlled."

A spark of sudden understanding flashed through Kain's sharp eyes. Her insticts told her that she must have caught onto something. Maybe he was remembering at this very second.

His gaze lifted to hers, and his was burning blue. "I was being controlled."

She rested her other hand on his forearm. She trained her gaze on his, following him. "What do you remember?"

He looked right at her, too, and she was surprised that his eyes could betray so much of what he felt. The intensity in them was captivating. "A mage... dark magic took control of my mind."

She didn't speak, letting him draw his own conclusions. She did leave her hand in his though. She'd wait.

She felt - and knew - that Kain was a good person. It was just that he was in the unfortunate position of knowing too much and being too driven not to do something about it. Lesser men would give up. Lesser men would do nothing. Kain took up his lance, went out and did the only thing he knew to do. And he absolutely should not regret being true to himself. It was admirable, really.

Several minutes passed in contemplation - on both sides - before he spoke her name.

She cleared her throat. "Yes, Kain?"

"Though not unravelled, the circumstances of my previous betrayal are clearer. I have you to thank."

She smiled. Although she was curious about what he'd come to and how he felt now, she knew some things you kept to yourself. "You're welcome. I'll always be here if you need me."

He paused, seeming to consider his words. "For that, I'm grateful."

She nearly let it end at that, but she just had to meddle a bit more. "Kain, for what it's worth, I think you're definitely on the right side."

His lips parted and he bent his head deliberately to look at their joined hands. He pressed his palm tighter to hers. Softly, he told her, "You are always willing to see the best in people. It is you who is on the correct side of this war." He looked up at her again. She knew he wasn't the type to bestow compliments so easily, and felt the flattery to her toes. They were sitting very close, close enough for her to see the strands of blond that had fallen over his eyes.

She had to regroup. The things he was saying, the baritone of his voice were doing things to her that they shouldn't have. She had to be fully present for him and Cecil. She let silence fall between them, a natural period in the conversation. She pulled her hand slowly from his, and wrung her hands together. "How are you feeling?"

His answer came faster than she expected. "I feel better. Truly, thank you."

"It's no problem," her reply fell flat. She attempted to fix it a bit. "Remember that I'm here for you if you want to talk."

She nearly had a heart attack when she thought she saw a smile grace his face. But then she was seeing him straight-faced as usual, and she just may have imagined the whole thing. "I will remember," he said.

She smiled a little nervously, then backed into the wall behind her, lay down flat, and tried to sleep.

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><p><strong>An: **Alright, full disclosure time. I wrote this two weeks ago immediately after chapter 4, along with a big chunk of what I hope I can rework into chapter 6. I brought Cecil into the story basically for him to serve as a catalyst (as L'Ame Force predicted). When I wrote this though, it didn't have anywhere near the emotional impact on Kain that I wanted it to, so I had to try for some major revision. The chapter as it is right now still niggles at me, but I was getting to that point where I just wanted to release the chapter and look at something else (ha). Thank you for continuing to read and review.**  
><strong>


	6. Tightrope Walking

**Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy © ****Square Enix**

**A/n: **Hey, so as some of you may have noticed, my updates are getting less frequent. That is because I am really wrestling with this story - mainly with pacing and with how I want this to end. I guess you could say I'm in over my head, and it's taking some time to straighten everything out. While we're on my troubles, I'll be honest about the lack of reviewing: it bothers me. There are a few things I could say concerning this, but I guess it boils down to _do you like what I've done with this story & why or why not _and _do you want to read more of it_? I know reviewing is not an obligation. Just know that if you don't, we can't be friends. (I'm kidding. ((Or am I?)))**  
><strong>

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><p>Kain leant back against the wall and set his gaze on Tifa. She was across the span of the cavern floor, facing the wall and sleeping. Cecil slept just out of sight, safely in the farthest reaches of the cave.<p>

He hadn't known the aftermath of Cecil's slumber would be so dramatic. He had felled several of his comrades before, and though it was never pleasant, and though he was closer to Cecil than anyone else, he didn't expect such emotional turbulence. As soon as he saw Cecil that late afternoon, he knew his friend would be sleeping soon, and by his hand. It was only when the deed was done that Kain felt guilt prick the base of his spine and ascend up his vertebrae. He could not shake the feeling that he had betrayed Cecil before, and guilt snowballed into frustration and sadness. (Why couldn't he remember? Why was he on this end and Cecil on the other?) And then his memory revealed the reasons to him. He wouldn't ever forget the sight of his lance nearly piercing Cecil's back.

He could only be thankful that Tifa was so stubborn and had decided to come along on his mission. She was instinctive in her care for him - she did not delve so deep as to aggravate his wounds, but she let him know she was there for him. She had even, surprisingly, coaxed more of his memories to return to him. When she worked her hand into his, he knew that it was better that he shared his worries and his memories. She was changing him.

He'd do all he could to protect her. He could never disentangle himself from her now, but how long could he go on doing that without telling her his feelings? Telling her certainly was not an option, not if he wanted to keep this from becoming immeasurably awkward. This was the trouble: accepting the fact that he liked her too much meant opening himself up to all of this - the knowing that he liked her and she did not return his feelings. At least before he could have denied the strength of his liking and therefore her rejection. Now he seemed to wade deep through his unrequited feelings. He had his work cut out for him - this was a fine line he'd have to walk.

Tonight, she did not say Cloud's name. He knew because he only dozed, always half-awake. They hadn't discussed who would keep watch, and though it would have been nice, he didn't give manakins quite so much credit as to leave them alone in the night. He thought of his few early memories of Cecil. He thought of the taste of Tifa's cooking. His thoughts eventually became blips, brief images, all disconnected.

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><p>She lay curled up on her side, trying to keep her breathing even. She was pretty sure Kain was awake, but if he knew she was awake that would mean they'd have to talk and gosh... she wasn't sure she could handle that. Not with his noble accent and deep register.<p>

This was just wrong. The man had just taken out his best friend and discovered that his mind had been controlled by some freaky wizardry in his however distant past. He'd just been through the emotional ringer. She had just helped him through it, and she knew she would do it again if he needed it. That was what friends did for each other. _Friends_, and... not anything else.

She resisted curling in tighter on herself, lest she give herself away. How was this happening? She had too much going on already - the crystals, this mission, her recovering memory and Cloud - why did her brain not recognize that? Why did it pick out and highlight the bobbing of Kain's Adam's apple, or the quiet fire behind his eyes, or the swipe of his thumbs over her eyelids? Sure, there was kindness where she had least expected it. And okay, the rest of his face was just as nice as his jawline. Yes, determination and confidence were hugely attractive qualities...

Okay, this wasn't helping. Even breathing. Sleep.

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><p>When he woke from his latest bout of dozing it was early morning. Her back was pressed against his. They were sleeping in the middle of the cavern. They must have drifted toward each other in the night.<p>

The smell of her hair was a light cloak over him. When she stirred, the scent was thrown over him in a fresh wave. "Kain?"

She'd woken like this yesterday morning, too, his name on her lips. He found himself thinking to the future, when they would not be traveling together, when she would not ask for him first thing in the morning. He cleared his throat.

She turned, twisting her torso to see his back at her own. "Good morning."

He pushed himself off of the ground to greet her properly. "Good morning."

She stretched then, her lean torso and long arms lengthening. He didn't know whether to look away or not (he didn't, in the end). He could tell she was thinking on what to say next. She pulled herself into a sitting position, but it was a lazy one, slouching over her knees. It looked comfortable - and he realized that it was because she was comfortable around him. "Ready to get going?"

He gestured to his armour. "Give me a moment."

"Of course," she replied. Then she began to stretch out her legs. (He did look away this time.)

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

He dared not turn back to face her. The true meaning of her question did not escape him though, even without the ability to read her expression. "I am well," he said, meaning it. He continued to don his armour quickly and efficiently, as he always did, but then there came the thought of last night, and Tifa's hand entwined with his... Hm. This was a complication. He couldn't go on daydreaming like this.

He would plan. He - Tifa and he - had to see Cecil to the cavern where he kept their slumbering companions. The cave was far off the path back to Cosmos, and it would be unwise to stray for long.

They did not necessarily have to return to Cosmos since Tifa's agreement to this mission, but reason dictated that they would encounter more Warriors around the stronghold. If all went well, he and Tifa could take on several together. As he slid a forearm guard into place, he mentally plotted the shortest route to the cave and back, but was met with an obstacle in the memory of Tifa's thumb, drawing circles on his wrist.

"This is kind of embarassing, but I think you'll have to carry Cecil."

Kain broke from his reverie to see Cecil's sleeping form balance awkwardly on Tifa's back. She was bent at the waist, trying to keep Cecil from falling too harshly by forming a slide out of her torso, it seemed. If she kept pulling at his arm, it just might pop out of the socket...

He crossed the cavern in large, brisk strides and lifted Cecil from her. "Forgive me, but I assumed I would be the one to carry him in the first place." He raised an eyebrow, then remembered he was without helmet and lowered his eyebrow again.

Her breathing was a little uneven as she said, "I know that you didn't get much sleep last night. I didn't want to tire you out any more."

How did she know that? The only way she could've known was if she were awake in the dead of the night when he was. That, or he was acting more tired than he thought. He set Cecil on the ground. He crossed his arms over his torso without a thought. "Your intentions are well-placed, but I will be fine."

She stretched yet again. "I hope so. He's really heavy."

His mouth twitched into a frown. It didn't seem very like her to question a comrade's strength. That, and... _how could_ she question his strength? "Cecil is not that heavy."

He must have sounded either very angry or offended because she finally looked him full in the face, and she quickly became embarassed. "Ahem. Right," she said, turning away. When she turned back, his helmet was in her hands. She thrust it at him. "Let's get going."

Quietly, he took his helmet and donned it. Then he very deliberately hefted Cecil onto his back, angling himself forward slightly so Cecil's upper body stayed put. Tifa looked out the entrance of the cave instead of watching this feat. He went to her side, brushing away memories of her taking his hands. "Cover my back."

She nodded, then trailed out of the cave after him.

The better part of the morning was spent traveling over terrain that gradually evened out. It was leisurely, in a way, and he didn't have to adjust Cecil once. The emptiness helped to clear his immediate thoughts until all he knew was Cecil on his back and Tifa right behind it. Having taken so many rests over the past few days, traveling through this calming terrain, and finally, having dealt with such a large issue the previous night, he felt... relaxed. It had been a long time since he'd felt like this.

By now, they'd been traveling for a good hour, and the landscape was so flat that he didn't find it very surprising when Tifa's eyebrows shot up at the cliff-face rising in front of them.

"Wait here," he told her. He assessed the formation in front of him, plotting the best route with the added weight of his best friend on his back. Then he tightened his grip on Cecil and leapt quickly upwards. It took a decent length of time - the cliff-face was very sheer - but he imagined it wouldn't be a life-threatening amount of time for either of them to be left alone.

When he returned back down after depositing Cecil by a cluster of rocks, Tifa seemed nervous. Even so, she seemed to know her role in this. When he knelt, she went to him immediately, hooking her arms over his shoulders. When he stood, she was already babbling.

"I don't really have a fear of heights," she began as if they had been talking all along. "I just have a fear of falling. If there were some kind of guards or safeties I'd be fine."

Was this the same woman who had, last night, comforted him so supremely well? Multitudes, indeed. He realized that her thighs had clamped solidly around his waist. She really was frightened. Still, he couldn't help but be a bit insulted. "You underestimate me, Tifa."

Tension mounted in her body. Her legs clamped tighter. "Oh, Shiva, no! You're- I'm just-"

He wanted to smirk. "Hold on, please," he said. Then he leapt.

She yelped nearly right into his ear. Her grip on him was so ridiculously strong that he had to wonder how she could not have lifted Cecil. Her face was buried into the back of his neck and her hair whipped every which way, that fresh scent all around them. Her knees, poking out from either side of his back, got a little sharper as they bent more and more. He found himself hooking a hand under each of her knees, and her tension evaporated away little by little.

When they reached the top they untangled themselves from the other and Tifa slid to the ground. "Thank you," she said a little huskily, "and sorry for being so paranoid."

He turned to face her and simply said, "You are much lighter than Cecil," to which her ears burned pink. She did not reply.

Some time later as he was turning over the stone covering the entryway to the cavern, Tifa still had not said anything. She followed him almost reverently into the dark. He went much farther in than he had before, allowing Tifa glimpses at all the comrades he had put to sleep.

Cecil he would place here, at the end of one of the more convoluted tunnelways. As he lay Cecil on the floor, he bid him a silent goodbye. _I will see you again._ When he about-faced, Tifa was very close.

She ignored their proximity and softly asked him a question - her first words in an hour. "Do you think he'll wake up remembering you?"

He answered honestly. "I have no doubt he will remember Golbez and I over the next cycle, be it upon awakening or not."

She nodded. "And... everyone's really safe here?"

He made sure she was looking at him before he solidly said yes.

She took a deep breath. "Okay." She stretched her neck to look at Cecil, worrying like a mother hen. Then she turned her gaze on Kain and her eyes softened all over again. She put her hand on his bicep. "And you're really okay?" she asked.

She was a worrywart. But then, he supposed he'd never been as vulnerable as he had been last night, and he'd certainly never shared that vulnerability with anyone. He nodded once, and tried to inject the right amount of warmth into his tone, "I am."

Her answering smile was brilliant. He felt himself wobble on that fine line he walked.

* * *

><p>One terrifying piggyback later, they were both back on track to Cosmos. Kain had said that finding everyone else would be easier if they were around Cosmos, and she supposed he was right. It was a testament to his total commitment that he wanted to continue with this mission after the fallout of last night.<p>

Last night. It felt like a dream. Kain had never been that talkative the entire time she'd known him, and there he was, _volunteering_ deeply personal information. In the moment it was extremely welcome, but now in the light of day, with him clad in his Dragoon armour again, she thought he would revert back to his usual tight-lipped self.

He proved her wrong - he was at her side again, instead of the usual point-and-rear guard formation. Additionally, she could've sworn he'd smirked as she was shrieking down the cliff-face (_that_ was embarassing, but in her defense going down was heaps scarier than going up). He also tossed the errant question her way every so often - what was she afraid of aside from heights, why martial arts, what did she enjoy cooking most - and she either had to accept that she was still in that dream or Kain was, shockingly, opening up to her. She hadn't expected to befriend him on such a level in two days. (They were a very long two days, and she certainly felt closer to him, but still.) Emotional support went a long way for Kain Highwind, apparently.

After she'd answered - losing her friends, I think I met a master, apple pie - she tossed a disbelieving glance his way. _Are you for real?_ she thought to herself, studying that flawless jawline again. At the thought of the rest of his face revealed from beneath his helmet, her stomach did little flips. _Scratch that,_ she thought with derision, _am I for real? Kain? I'm just asking for it._ She couldn't shake that this wasn't the first time the thought had occured to her though. (Yesterday morning's kiss made that _very_ clear, last night's inability to fall asleep added to that clarity, and yes, she'd even thought about it a little perched on his back earlier.) This allure definitely wasn't a fluke, but there was a lot more at stake here than her budding attraction to Kain. She hadn't thought consciously on it before, but she knew now that she couldn't just coast along on the sound of his voice or on the kindnesses he bestowed upon her. There was, in fact, a whole world that hung in the balance, here. It sounded awfully dramatic, but it was true. She couldn't let herself be distracted by an attraction, however great or small, to her partner in this mission.

Kain's arm was suddenly in her way, his lance extending out farther than needed to stop her in her steps. She just began to ask what was going on when he said, "Manakins."

She followed his gaze. They were the worst manakins possible for Kain to fight right now - delusory knights. And there were seven of them. Not impossible to handle between the two of them, but it would be an uphill battle.

Kain seemed to know this, too. He circled around so that their backs were to each other's. The metal of his armour was cold against her skin, and she jolted fully out of her thoughts. "We can run or fight," he said.

The manakins were advancing. She didn't need them to do that for her to make a decision though. She thought of her asking him if he was alright back at the cave, and his answer - _I am._ "We fight," she said. This was what she needed - a reminder that this fight was real.

He pointed his lance straight at one of the delusory knights. She knew then that he would have little trouble fighting the very images of his friend. He'd weathered a great storm, and he had more strength than she could have fathomed. "We will prevail," he announced, twirling his lance.

She nodded, bringing her fists up. And at that, they both lunged forward to do battle.


End file.
